[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3847-3851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING ABRAHAM LINCOLN ON THE BICENTENNIAL OF HIS BIRTH

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 139) commemorating the life and legacy of 
President Abraham Lincoln on the bicentennial of his birth.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 139

       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to 
     modest means, in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln spent his childhood in Indiana, 
     and, despite having less than a year of formal schooling, 
     developed an avid love of reading and learning;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln arrived in Illinois at the age of 
     21;
       Whereas, while living in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln met and 
     married his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, built a successful legal 
     practice, served in the State legislature of Illinois, was 
     elected to Congress, and participated in the famous 
     ``Lincoln-Douglas'' debates;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln left Illinois 4 months after being 
     elected President of the United States in 1860;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was the first member of the 
     Republican party elected President of the United States and 
     helped build the Republican party into a strong national 
     organization;
       Whereas, after his election and the secession of the 
     southern States, Abraham Lincoln steered the United States 
     through the most profound moral and political crisis, and the 
     bloodiest war, in the history of the Nation;
       Whereas, by helping to preserve the Union and by holding a 
     national election, as scheduled, during a civil war, Abraham 
     Lincoln reaffirmed the commitment of the people of the United 
     States to majority rule and democracy;
       Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham 
     Lincoln declared that slaves within the Confederacy would be 
     forever free and welcomed more than 200,000 African-American 
     soldiers and sailors into the Armed Forces of the Union;
       Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham 
     Lincoln fundamentally transformed the Civil War from a battle 
     for political unity to a moral fight for freedom;
       Whereas the faith Abraham Lincoln had in democracy was 
     strong, even after the bloodiest battle of the war at 
     Gettysburg;

[[Page 3848]]

       Whereas the inspiring words spoken by Abraham Lincoln at 
     Gettysburg still resonate today: ``that these dead shall not 
     have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a 
     new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by 
     the people, for the people, shall not perish from the 
     earth'';
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was powerfully committed to unity, 
     turning rivals into allies within his own Cabinet and 
     welcoming the defeated Confederacy back into the Union with 
     characteristic generosity, ``with malice toward none; with 
     charity for all'';
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln became the first President of the 
     United States to be assassinated, days after giving a speech 
     promoting voting rights for African-Americans;
       Whereas, through his opposition to slavery, Abraham Lincoln 
     set the United States on a path toward resolving the tension 
     between the ideals of ``liberty and justice for all'' 
     espoused by the Founders of the United States and the ignoble 
     practice of slavery, and redefined what it meant to be a 
     citizen of the United States;
       Whereas, in his commitment to unity, Abraham Lincoln did 
     more than simply abolish slavery; he ensured that the promise 
     that ``all men are created equal'' was an inheritance to be 
     shared by all people of the United States;
       Whereas the story of Abraham Lincoln and the example of his 
     life, including his inspiring rise from humble origins to the 
     highest office of the land and his decisive leadership 
     through the most harrowing time in the history of the United 
     States, continues to bring hope and inspiration to millions 
     in the United States and around the world, making him one of 
     the greatest Presidents and humanitarians in history; and
       Whereas February 12, 2009, marks the bicentennial of the 
     birth of Abraham Lincoln: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commemorates the bicentennial of the birth of President 
     Abraham Lincoln;
       (2) recognizes and echoes the commitment of Abraham Lincoln 
     to what he called the ``unfinished work'' of unity and 
     harmony in the United States; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to recommit 
     to fulfilling the vision of Abraham Lincoln of equal rights 
     for all.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  On this exact day 200 years ago, the great Abraham Lincoln was born 
in a small cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. Therefore, it is with 
extreme honor and admiration that I stand before the American people 
today to call up House Resolution 139, which celebrates both the life 
and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln which he left behind.
  House Resolution 139 was introduced by Representative Hare from the 
Land of Lincoln--the State of Illinois. It is cosponsored by some 63 
Members of Congress. I thank the gentleman for introducing the measure 
which gives us the opportunity to, once again, highlight the 
accomplishments and greatness of our 16th President.
  Born into very humble beginnings, Abraham Lincoln was a self-educated 
man who would rise from his midwestern roots to lead our Nation through 
its most divisive moments. A fervent believer in the principles of the 
Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln fought for the rights of 
all Americans and for the preservation of the Union, the very union 
that makes us one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and 
justice for all.
  It was in this same spirit that Lincoln wrote in his second inaugural 
address that it is ``with malice toward none, with charity for all; 
with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us 
strive on to finish the work we are in.''
  Madam Speaker, as we tackle our country's economic crisis, let us be 
reminded of Lincoln's famous words and work together to carry out the 
people's business in order that we may form a perfect Union.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  It is a personal honor, thrill and privilege to stand in this body at 
this time and to recognize such an American hero. I rise today to pay 
honor and tribute to the life of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, 
on the 200th anniversary of his birth.
  Born in modest circumstances in Hardin County, Kentucky, this great 
man went on to have a profound effect on the life and times of this 
Nation for over two centuries. President Lincoln's service to his 
country began in 1832 when he served with distinction and was elected 
to the rank of captain in an Illinois militia company in the Black Hawk 
War.
  After completing his military service, he was elected to the State 
legislature in 1834 where he served the citizens of Sangamon County 
until 1840.
  In 1846, President Lincoln moved on to serve in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, serving one term before he decided not to seek 
reelection and return to the private sector as a lawyer.
  Spurred by the turmoil that gripped the Nation after the passage of 
the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, Mr. Lincoln decided to reenter the 
public arena, lending his clarion voice to the causes of liberty.
  Notably, while addressing the opponents of the repeal of the Missouri 
Compromise in Peoria, Illinois in July 1854, the then former 
Congressman Lincoln declared, ``No man is good enough to govern another 
man without the other's consent.''
  Four years later in 1858, Mr. Lincoln continued to be troubled by the 
practice of slavery, and wrote, ``As I would not be a slave, so I would 
not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.''
  In the following year, in a letter to Massachusetts Representative 
Henry L. Pierce, Mr. Lincoln wrote: ``Those who deny freedom to others 
deserve it not for themselves.''
  Abraham Lincoln's views clearly resounded with the American people, 
and he was elected the President of the United States in 1860 during 
the national crisis that would ultimately lead to the Civil War in 
America. Abraham Lincoln's singular vision that the Union must be 
preserved guided this Nation through some of its darkest days. 
Reelected in 1864, Mr. Lincoln lived to see the end of the war and the 
abolishment of slavery.

                              {time}  1430

  Sadly, only 6 weeks into his second term, the President was shot and 
killed at Ford's Theater.
  Two hundred years after he was born, this humble man of great courage 
and conviction continues to be one of our country's most beloved 
statesmen.
  To this very day, he continues to symbolize through his writings and 
deeds the promises of liberty, equality, and humility first put forth 
in our founding declaration.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, at this time I'd like to recognize the 
gentleman who is the lead sponsor of this resolution, the distinguished 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hare), for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HARE. I thank my friend for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 
139, commemorating the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln on the 
bicentennial of his birth. As a Member who proudly represents west 
central Illinois--the Land of Lincoln--I was honored to introduce this 
resolution.
  My congressional district includes Decatur where Abraham Lincoln 
found his political voice at the young age of 21. Illinois' 17th 
District is also home to three sites of the famous Lincoln-Douglas 
debates that carried the future President to national prominence. Not 
far is the town of Springfield, Illinois, which Lincoln himself said, 
``To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.''
  Today, February 12, 2009, marks the 200th anniversary of President 
Lincoln's birth and provides the entire country an opportunity to 
reflect on the life and the contributions of this great man.

[[Page 3849]]

  Madam Speaker, at a time of great division, President Lincoln played 
a central role in our Nation's history. His mission to preserve the 
Union ultimately resulted in the abolition of slavery. On January 1, 
1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that 
declared forever free southern slaves. Still today, two centuries after 
his birth, President Lincoln's leadership continues to serve as an 
example and an inspiration to people all over the world.
  I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on House Resolution 139 and join 
me in celebrating Illinois' favorite son. I would also like to thank 
Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer for working with me to craft this 
legislation, and acknowledge Senator Richard Durbin, Transportation 
Secretary Ray LaHood, and other members of the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission for their efforts to ensure the legacy of 
Lincoln's service and sacrifice is honored and will never be forgotten.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I have no other speakers at the moment, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I urge that all Members join us in 
supporting the underlying resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support the 
passage of H. Res. 139.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. 
Res. 139 ``Commemorating the life and legacy of President Abraham 
Lincoln on the bicentennial of his birth.''
  Madam Speaker, this resolution recognizes the 200th anniversary and 
the accomplishments of the 16th President of the United States of 
America, Abraham Lincoln.
  The great state of Illinois has contributed immensely to the 
progression of America. Illinois has produced three African American 
Senators; Carol Mosely Braun, now President Barack Obama, and Roland 
Burris, which is more than any other state. It is the achievements of 
perhaps Illinois' greatest son, Abraham Lincoln, which can be credited 
for this feat.
  He was a true champion of liberty for all Americans, and he led the 
Nation during very turbulent political times from the Civil War. 
Abraham Lincoln was portrayed as a self-made man, the liberator of the 
slaves, and the savior of the Union who had given his life so that 
others could be free. President Lincoln became Father Abraham, a near 
mythological hero, ``lawgiver'' to African Americans, and a 
``Masterpiece of God'' sent to save the Union. His humor was presented 
as an example of his humanity; his numerous pardons demonstrated his 
``great soul''; and his sorrowful demeanor reflected the burdens of his 
lonely journey as the leader of a ``blundering and sinful'' people.
  Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to Thomas Lincoln and 
Nancy Hanks, two uneducated farmers, in a one-room log cabin on the 
348-acre Sinking Spring Farm, in southeast Hardin County, Kentucky. 
Lincoln began his political career in 1832, at age 23, with an 
unsuccessful campaign for the Illinois General Assembly, as a member of 
the Whig Party.
  Lincoln was a true opponent of injustice. In 1837, he made his first 
protest against slavery in the Illinois House, stating that the 
institution was ``founded on both injustice and bad policy.''
  Opposed to the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act, Lincoln spoke to a crowd in 
Peoria, Illinois, on October 16, 1854, outlining the moral, political 
and economic arguments against slavery that he would continue to uphold 
throughout his career.
  His ``Western'' origins also appealed to the newer states: other 
contenders, especially those with more governmental experience, had 
acquired enemies within the party and were weak in the critical western 
states, while Lincoln was perceived as a moderate who could win the 
West.
  On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the 
United States. In his First Inaugural Address, Lincoln declared, ``I 
hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the 
Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not 
expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments,'' 
arguing further that the purpose of the United States Constitution was 
``to form a more perfect union.''
  Lincoln possessed a keen understanding of strategic points and 
understood the importance of defeating the enemy's army, rather than 
simply capturing cities. He had, however, limited success in motivating 
his commanders to adopt his strategies until late 1863, when he found a 
man who shared his vision of the war in Ulysses S. Grant. Only then 
could he insist on using African American troops and relentlessly 
pursue a series of coordinated offensives in multiple theaters.
  Throughout the war, Lincoln showed a keen curiosity with the military 
campaigns. He spent hours at the War Department telegraph office, 
reading dispatches from his generals. He visited battle sites 
frequently, and seemed fascinated by scenes of war.
  The Emancipation Proclamation, freed slaves in territories not 
already under Union control. Lincoln later said: ``I never, in my life, 
felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this 
paper.''
  As the war was drawing to a close, Lincoln became the first American 
President to be assassinated. On April 14, 1865. As a lone bodyguard 
wandered, and Lincoln sat in his state box, John Wilkes Booth crept up 
behind the President and fired a single fatal shot into the President. 
However, his triumphs live on far past this date.
  In 1982, forty-nine historians and political scientists were asked by 
the Chicago Tribune to rate all the Presidents through Jimmy Carter in 
five categories: leadership qualities, accomplishments/crisis 
management, political skills, appointments, and character/integrity. At 
the top of the list stood Abraham Lincoln. The judgment of historians 
and the public tells us that Abraham Lincoln was the nation's greatest 
President by every measure applied.
  Because he was committed to preserving the Union and thus vindicating 
democracy no matter what the consequences to himself, the Union was 
indeed saved. Because he understood that ending slavery required 
patience, careful timing, shrewd calculations, and an iron resolve, 
slavery was indeed killed. Lincoln managed in the process of saving the 
Union and killing slavery to define the creation of a more perfect 
Union in terms of liberty and economic equality that rallied the 
citizenry behind him. Because he understood that victory in both great 
causes depended upon purposeful and visionary presidential leadership 
as well as the exercise of politically acceptable means, he left as his 
legacy a United States that was both whole and free. His great 
achievement, historians tell us, was his ability to energize and 
mobilize the nation by appealing to its best ideals while acting ``with 
malice towards none'' in the pursuit of a more perfect, more just, and 
more enduring Union.
  Madam Speaker, President Lincoln has paved the way for people of 
color such as myself to serve in Congress and represent the people of 
the 18th District of Texas proudly. He has been a trailblazer, opening 
the door for our first African American President, President Barack 
Obama.
  Today we celebrate the life of President Abraham Lincoln. He has 
given America many victories. Importantly, his presidency opened the 
door to ensure that all Americans would be assured their constitutional 
freedoms and that all Americans would enjoy the triumph against 
oppression and injustice. President Lincoln has lit the candle, let us 
today continue to carry it and make sure that it will never go out.
  I thank my colleague, Representative Phil Hare, of Illinois, for 
introducing this important legislation, to ensure that we celebrate, 
treasure and recognize the impact of President Abraham Lincoln as a 
national treasure and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
this resolution.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to add my voice in 
celebration of today's Lincoln Bicentennial. In Illinois--the Land of 
Lincoln--we always cherish our 16th President, taking pride in a man 
who steered this nation through turbulent times and whose legacy 
continues to guide us today. Today we all join in recognizing his 
greatness.
  There have been many, many books written about President Lincoln, 
detailing his remarkable life and his towering achievements. I want to 
encourage my colleagues to explore one of those books, Lincoln at 
Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America. Written by Garry Wills, my 
constituent and a professor at Northwestern University, this Pulitzer 
Prize-winning analysis underscores why the Gettysburg Address remains 
the most well-known speech in American history.
  President Lincoln spoke on the battlefield where 50,000 Americans 
were killed or wounded. He certainly didn't realize that the words in 
his short oration would be recited by schoolchildren across the nation. 
He said that ``the world will little note nor long remember what we say 
here.'' In this instance, he was wrong.
  President Lincoln didn't just speak in memory of those who had fought 
and died in the battle. He used his oration to instruct, inspire and 
set a vision for our nation's future. He asked those who were present 
at Gettysburg

[[Page 3850]]

and those of us who today study his words to remember the very ideals 
on which our nation was founded. He began by asking us to recall that 
our nation was ``conceived in Liberty'' and equality. As Professor 
Wills writes,

       Lincoln was able to achieve the loftiness, ideality, and 
     brevity of the Gettysburg Address because he had spent a good 
     part of the 1850s repeatedly relating all the most sensitive 
     issues of the day to the Declaration's supreme principle. If 
     all men are created equal, they cannot be property. They 
     cannot by ruled by owner-monarchs . . . Their equality cannot 
     be denied if the nation is to live by its creed, and voice 
     it, and test it, and die for it . . . a nation free to 
     proclaim its ideal is freed, again, to approximate that ideal 
     over the years, in ways that run far beyond any specific or 
     limited reforms . . .

  The theme of liberty and equality runs through the Gettysburg 
Address, just as it ran through the entire life of President Lincoln. 
His very life was a symbol of our country--a boy of humble beginnings 
who through hard work and his own talents was able not just to become 
President of the United States but to become a symbol of democracy 
across the generations and across the globe. Because of his confidence 
in the ideals and potential of America, he was able to give a speech of 
hope at a time of unprecedented crisis in our country.
  The Gettysburg Address ends with a clarion call for ``a new birth of 
freedom.'' His faith in our country--in a ``government of the people, 
by the people, and for the people''--continues to inspire us in the 
United States and proponents of participatory democracy across the 
globe.
  President Lincoln is recognized for what he did for our country--not 
just his actions but also his words. As Professor Wills says, ``Words 
were weapons for him, even though he meant them to be weapons of peace 
in the midst of war.'' He continues,

       Lincoln does not argue law or history, as Daniel Webster 
     did. He makes history. He does not come to present a theory, 
     but to impose a symbol, one tested in experience and 
     appealing to national values, with an emotional urgency 
     entirely expressed in calm abstractions (fire in ice). He 
     came to change the world, to effect an intellectual 
     revolution. No other words could have done it. The miracle is 
     that these words did. In his brief time before the crowd at 
     Gettysburg he wove a spell that has not, yet, been broken--he 
     called up a new nation out of the blood and trauma.

  As we celebrate the Lincoln Bicentennial, our nation is faced with 
serious economic and global challenges; and President Lincoln's words 
still guide us today. He understood that the core of our nation is our 
commitment to liberty and equality--not just under the law but in the 
opportunity for every individual to achieve and prosper. He reminded us 
that our government must recognize its responsibility to the public 
good and encourage public participation and investment in that 
government.
  In these trying times, we are fortunate to have another President who 
has the ability to inspire, to lead and to act to bring us out of 
crisis. Like President Lincoln, President Obama's life is a model of 
not just what an individual can achieve given the opportunity to 
succeed but what our nation can accomplish when we remember our 
founding values of liberty and equality.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 139, 
a resolution to commemorate the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln on 
the bicentennial of his birth.
  As we celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, we are reminded 
of Lincoln's commitment to the unity, and harmony of all people and our 
nation. Abraham Lincoln, born on February 12, 1809, in Kentucky, was a 
man of humble beginnings. He was primarily self-educated, teaching 
himself to read and write by candlelight, and possessed an avid thirst 
for knowledge. Mr. Lincoln began his political career at the age of 23, 
running unsuccessfully for the Illinois State Legislature. He won his 
first election in 1834 to that same body and began a public service 
career characterized by his dedication to fairness and justice and his 
keen political mind.
  Mr. Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States 
during a tumultuous time in our nation's history. With the outbreak of 
the Civil War eminent, President Lincoln led our country through its 
bloodiest and most profound moral crisis. He felt the reason behind 
southern succession was contrary to democratic ideals and remained 
steadfast in his commitment to preserving our founding fathers 
fundamental principles as defined in the Constitution. Once the end of 
the Civil War was in sight, President Lincoln was accommodating and 
generous in his plans for peace, encouraging Southerner's to join in a 
speedy reunion.
  Abraham Lincoln was a man of sincere integrity and virtue who will 
always be remembered for his commitment to the principles of freedom, 
democracy and union. With incredible leadership and courage, President 
Lincoln exemplified the American experience and became its archetype--
that anyone, no matter their background, can accomplish great things in 
the land of the free and the home of the brave. Illinois is proud to be 
known as the Land of Lincoln and we cherish the legacy he has left us.
  Madam Speaker, as a cosponsor of the bill, I urge my colleagues' 
support.
  Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, Abraham Lincoln was our nation's sixteenth 
President, and its greatest.
  His vision and courage in our nation's darkest, most perilous moments 
were instrumental in unifying a fractured nation, and preserving its 
precious founding principles.
  On this--what would have been his 200th birthday--we pause to 
remember Lincoln the Statesman, and as is befitting of such times, 
there will be many things said. There will be many aspects of Lincoln's 
legacy that will be remembered, many traits of Lincoln that will be 
exalted and many deeds of Lincoln admired.
  While there are many who would lay claim to the mantle of Lincoln, I 
believe that an honest appraisal of Lincoln's legacy lays bare two 
critical distinctions of the Great Emancipator.
  First, he was a Hoosier; secondly, he was a conservative.
   Lincoln, though born in the heart of Kentucky, spent his formative 
years in southern Indiana. The Lincolns moved to Spencer County, 
Indiana when young Abe was 7 and for the next 14 years, lived in the 
Hoosier State. It was during this time as a Hoosier of humble 
circumstance, living in a log cabin on 160 acres near Little Pigeon 
Creek, that Lincoln developed his voracious appetite for reading and 
learning, once walking 20 miles to borrow a book.
  He also learned the power and promise of the free market as a young 
entrepreneur. He crafted his own boat and started his own ferry service 
to and from the Ohio River. On one occasion, when two patrons each 
tossed him a silver half-dollar, Lincoln noted, ``It was a most 
important incident in my life. The world seemed wider and fairer before 
me; I was a more hopeful and thoughtful boy from that time.'' Indeed, 
from then on, he was a staunch advocate for the free market and the 
equality of opportunity.
  He also cultivated a real affinity for the ideas of the Founding 
Fathers as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence--natural 
rights, economic freedom and equality under the law. It was this 
commitment to the ``first principles'' of our nation that served as the 
fulcrum of Lincoln's leadership during his most heroic--and ultimately 
heralded-moments.
  When others looked forward at an unknowable and uncertain future, 
Lincoln looked back--he looked back to what sustained this nation 
through the birth pains of its Founding--and it was in this act of 
looking back that Lincoln serves as a model of true conservatism.
  In 1859, in a speech given in Columbus, Ohio, Lincoln asserted that 
the ``chief and real purpose of the Republican party is eminently 
conservative'' and that the party's sole aim should be to ``restore 
this government to its original tone . . . and thereto maintain it, 
looking for no further change than that which the original framers of 
the government themselves expected and looked forward to.''
  More to the point, to the question ``what is conservatism?'' Lincoln 
succinctly answered, ``Is it not the adherence to the old and the 
tried, against the new and the untried?'' Surely there are those who 
would do well to heed those words in these times.
  It has been said in many ways and many places before, and it bears 
repeating, that the promise that all men are created equal--as written 
in the Declaration of the Independence--and the incredible potential 
that is inherent in the notion of equality under law--as established in 
the Constitution--are both realized in the person and Presidency of 
Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln himself said that he ``never had a feeling 
politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the 
Declaration of Independence.''
  As the Indianapolis Star noted today, ``An old Indiana farm boy still 
has many lessons to teach America.''
  I close with the words of Lincoln that ring as true today as they did 
when they were first spoken nearly two centuries ago:
  ``Our republican robe is soiled, and trailed in the dust. Let us 
repurify it. Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with 
it, the practices and policy, which harmonize with it. Let north and 
south--let all Americans--let all lovers of liberty everywhere--join in 
the great and good work. If we do this, we shall not only have saved 
the Union; but we shall have so saved it, as to make, and to keep it, 
forever worthy of the saving. We shall have so saved

[[Page 3851]]

it, that the succeeding millions of free happy people, the world over, 
shall rise up, and call us blessed, to the latest generation.''
  Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, it is with profound admiration and 
respect that I commemorate the 200th anniversary of President Abraham 
Lincoln's birth. From humble beginnings in a one room log cabin in the 
backwoods of Kentucky, Lincoln, a self-taught lawyer, went on to win a 
narrow victory in 1860 to become our 16th president.
   Not long after he took office, our country was plunged into a war 
between the states that threatened to destroy everything our Founding 
Fathers had fought so hard to establish. As the war raged, Lincoln led 
the Union through the maelstrom to save our Republic. At the same time, 
he paved the way to freedom for millions who had never known it. Sadly, 
an assassin's bullet stole Lincoln from his people just days after the 
Civil War ended.
   Madam Speaker, as we commemorate his 200th birthday, I reflect upon 
the life of President Lincoln and the sacrifices he made to protect the 
principles of freedom we cherish so deeply. A man of great wisdom and 
courage who guided our country through some of its darkest hours, 
President Lincoln embodies the true meaning of what it is to be an 
American.
   While, in the words of Secretary of War Edwin M. Staunton, Lincoln 
``belongs to the ages,'' he lives in the hearts of freedom loving 
people in the United States and around the world.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 139.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________